Palliative care is a branch of medicine that alleviates the suffering of an incurable patient when the possibilities of radical treatment are already wasted, for example, in the case of inoperable cancer. The main activity of such organizations is aimed at analgesia, the rest of the actions are psychological and social support. Palliative care improves only quality of last days of life.
Incurable patients need special care, combining medical, psychological and social assistance. Both the patient and their relatives have tremendous fear, being left alone with their problem. Professional assistance has a positive effect on such families.
According to statistics, 1.6 million people die of cancer each year in Europe, and about 300,000 in Russia. 320 thousand patients need palliative care at the same time. This is quite a large number, so the state works together with public and volunteer organizations.
The principles and standards of palliative care are set out in the White Paper, developed by the European Palliative Care Association. The main provisions are autonomy and dignity of the patient. The patient has the right to choose the place and method of assistance. It is necessary to disassemble the throughout treatment plan with the person and their relatives, avoiding unexpected, inconsistent changes.
To enhance the positive effect, doctors, psychologists, social workers, volunteers and priests are invited. Support for family members of the patient is also an important component of palliative care.
If one disassemble the form of assistance, then the most frequent type is hospice.
The main purpose of hospice care is constant care for the individual. Hospice helps to solve all problems: from pain relief to providing a place to stay. Financial expenses are usually high, because, in addition to medicines, a person needs a walker, gurneys, anti-decubitus mattresses, hospital multifunctional beds, oxygen therapy facilities and many other personal equipment for a decent existence. Hospices also provide outpatient palliative care and on-home patronage.
There is also a terminal help. This is extremely short-term patient care in the very last days and hours of their life. The purpose of such assistance is to provide relatives with a rest.
Outpatient form of care are offices of pain therapy. Hospital multifunctional beds are placed in the analgesic office of a non-core hospital in the absence of day care. Recommendations on the issues of anesthetic therapy are given in the letters of the Ministry of Health of Russia: dated November 20, 2014 No. 25-4 / 10 / 2-8738 “On the issue of improving the availability of providing pain therapy” and dated February 27, 2014 No. 25-4 / 10 / 2-1277 "On pain therapy for patients in need of medical care".
According to the standard of equipment of the palliative care unit, it should contain a mechanical tonometer, a stetofonendoscope, hospital multifunctional beds with a bedside tables, a bedside toilet, gurneys, massage couches, an infusion solution holder, an oxygen concentrator, a portable inhaler, a suction unit, an ultraviolet germicidal unit, refrigerators and a cabinet for drugs. Fixed-height medical functional beds with hydraulic, mechanical and electric controls supplied by WestMedGroup are designed in such a way that all mechanisms are hidden inside the metal frame and do not protrude beyond the size of the bed - which is very important, because in such a design it is impossible to accidentally damage or remove building functional units of the bed. The MIL'S oxygen concentrators, also supplied by WestMedGroup, have proven themselves well in hospitals. This equipment is supplied in 6 different sizes with a capacity from 3 to 26 Nm3 / h O2 (KOV), as well as in their combinations for the required performance. Separately, it should be noted the use of various accessories - accessories for gurneys - which facilitate the care of the sick.
Due to the insufficient number of specialized departments and hospices, many patients are discharged home after the termination of anticancer treatment, but if the office of pain therapy has its own transport, doctors can provide the necessary assistance at home. Frequently, volunteers take part in the work of patronage brigades.
Non-specialized palliative care facilities include nursing services and general practitioners, general hospital departments. The staff in these institutions does not always have special training, so clinics should be able to consult with specialists. The basic set for the care in the form of hospital multifunctional beds, anti-decubitus mattresses, oxygen concentrators and suction is available in any hospitals.
Patients who have been diagnosed with an incurable disease, including various forms of malignant tumors, can apply for palliative care. The indication for palliative treatment is also the development of chronic pain syndrome, significantly worsening the quality of life. As for health care workers, there is no separate regulation governing the provision of palliative care. The main requirement is the obtaining of special training.
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